Antonelli Tops Austrian GP FP2 in 1:07.014, Completing Friday Sweep

Q: After ditching the simulator and winning, has Lewis Hamilton found the secret to toppling Mercedes' overwhelming 2026 dominance?

Not yet. Hamilton’s decision to skip Ferrari’s simulator appears to have helped his comfort and execution, but there is not enough evidence to call it the decisive formula for beating Mercedes over a season. The strongest case for the change is practical. Hamilton has said Ferrari’s simulator work carried “too many risks,” and his best 2026 weekends have come without it. He finished on the podium in China and Canada and then won in Barcelona, where Ferrari and Hamilton executed well with strategy and benefited from a late Virtual Safety Car and Antonelli’s retirement. That suggests the no-simulator approach may be improving his feel for the car and reducing preparation that was not translating on track. But Austria practice underlined the bigger reality: Mercedes still has the benchmark package. Antonelli led a Mercedes one-two in FP1, and the team has won six of the first seven races. Antonelli has taken five straight victories and built a substantial championship lead, while Russell remains a threat. Hamilton was only fifth in the session, 0.665sec off Antonelli, despite arriving with momentum from Barcelona. So Hamilton may have found a better personal method, not a magic answer. To truly topple Mercedes, Ferrari still needs more outright pace, cleaner weekends, and sustained reliability. Hamilton’s revised preparation can help unlock his side of the garage, but on current evidence it is a useful tool rather than the secret that ends Mercedes’ 2026 advantage.

3 articles · Updated · Motorsport.com · Jun 26

1:07.014 put Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli fastest in Austrian GP second practice, sealing a clean Friday sweep after he also led FP1.
McLaren emerged as Antonelli's closest threat once soft-tyre qualifying runs began, with Oscar Piastri 0.237s back and Lando Norris another 0.088s slower in third.
49C track temperatures and early reliability trouble disrupted the session before the pace runs settled, with Alex Albon reporting no power and Sergio Perez stopping after Cadillac overheating triggered a brief virtual safety car.
Max Verstappen finished fourth at 1:07.564, 0.550s off the pace, while George Russell managed only sixth as Mercedes looked strongest over one lap heading into the rest of the weekend.